The advent of digital photography, which makes possible the storage of photographic images on various storage media such as, e.g., memory devices and optical and magnetic disks, in combination with the ability to disseminate such images electronically, e.g., over the Internet, has fueled a recent increased popularity of various photographing apparatuses, including digital or film cameras alike. In attempts to capture the increased market attendant with such increased popularity, the manufacturers are offering competing models of photographing apparatuses that attempt to satisfy the ever growing expectations by the consumers for photographing apparatuses that incorporate a growing number of various advanced features of convenience.
One such advanced feature commonly found in modern photographing apparatuses is the auto focusing (AF) feature that automatically adjusts the focusing on the subject being photographed. Such AF function is typically achieved by measuring the relative distance between two separately acquired images of the subject to determine the distance by which the photographing lens is to be moved in order to bring the subject into focus and by moving the photographing lens by the determined distance.
However, for such AF operation, a conventional photographing apparatus includes a separate AF module that may include, for example, a sub mirror arranged to change the path of light and/or a separating lens for dividing the light to generate the two separate images. In such conventional photographing apparatus, because some portion of the light is diverted by the sub mirror for the purposes of the auto focusing, the entire light may not be available for the purpose of acquiring the photographic image by an imaging element, which makes it virtually impossible or undesirable to simultaneously acquire the photographic image and perform the AF function.
A photographing apparatus and/or a method capable of realizing an automatic focusing without the need for the use of a separate AF module are thus desirable.